Office of Fair Trading launches children's apps investigation

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has launched an investigation to establish whether children are being pressured into purchasing premium content when using free apps and web-based games.

The regulator has contacted the studios behind such titles to request information on how the paid content is marketed in-app, and is asking parents and guardians to report any instances where they may have been misled in relation to these services.

Many popular free gaming apps offer only a portion of the game unless money is invested in additional levels, in-game currency or upgraded membership.

The OFT aims to establish whether these apps are guilty of "misleading, commercially aggressive or otherwise unfair" tactics and make their full cost clear before they are downloaded.

"We are concerned that children and their parents could be subject to unfair pressure to purchase when they are playing games they thought were free, but which can actually run up substantial costs," said OFT senior director for goods and consumer Cavendish Elithorn.

"The OFT is not seeking to ban in-game purchases, but the games industry must ensure it is complying with the relevant regulations so that children are protected. We are speaking to the industry and will take enforcement action if necessary."

There have been numerous reports of children running up staggering charges to their parents accounts through in-app purchases, including one incident where a teenager blew £3,700 on Apple's App Store.